Access to education is a significant determinant in future success, not only for a country but equally for individuals. Higher Education (HE) thus is an integral part of the Sustainable Development...

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The same course, different access: the digital divide between urban and rural distance education students in South Africa

This study explored the interplay between contextual and individual factors related to Internet adoption in isolated rural communities. By investigating 10 remote villages throughout Chile that received Internet access infrastructure in 2010-2011, we identified 3 areas in which contextual and individual factors are intertwined. First, the geographical isolation shaped people's personality and attitudes towards new experiences, including digital technologies. Second, the communities' aging population also represented a strong challenge because they lack young people, a relevant technology socialization agent. Finally, jobs and economic activities are related to people's lack of motivations and needs towards digital technologies. When the Internet has reached the vast majority of the population, isolated communities confront specific challenges that we need to consider in policy-making decisions.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jcc4.12154

Digital Inclusion in Rural Areas: A Qualitative Exploration of Challenges Faced by People From Isolated Communities

This paper assesses the digital divide between and within the 28 member-states of the European Union. The analysis comprised four socio-demographic contexts: age, education, gender, and income. Because of the digital divide’s complexity, a multivariate approach was applied - factor analysis with oblique rotation, which resulted in two distinct dimensions: e-Services and Social Networks. To test the significant differences of European Union positioning and European Union disparities, Multivariate Analysis of Variance and Squared Rank Test were computed. Findings show that e-Services adoption is influenced primarily by the education level of individuals, while Social Networks adoption is more affected by individuals’ age.

Assessing the Role of Age, Education, Gender and Income on the Digital Divide: Evidence for the European Union

Objectives

We analyze differences in how men and women in Latin American countries are utilizing the Internet to identify a possible regional gendered digital divide in Internet use. The extent, degree, and implications of this gender digital divide are explored across countries with varying degrees of digital freedom.



Methods

We employ a series of random- and fixed-effects models utilizing individual-level data from the 2010 Latin Barometer merged with country-level data obtained from the U.N. Gender Inequality Index.



Results

Our results suggest that, in general, Latin American men tend to use the Internet more than women. Men also use more social media and gather political information more frequently. In addition, Internet use is higher across these categories in countries with more gender equality.



Conclusion

The potential for the Internet to serve as a social and political equalizing force in Latin America is stymied in part by the gendered digital divide.

Gender and the Digital Divide in Latin America

Assessing regional digital competence: digital futures and strategic planning implications

Community technology centers and libraries have been crucial components of public policy initiatives to reduce the digital divide. Using theories of structuration and the social construction of technology, this paper examines the gender dynamics of the digital divide at public access points in Austin, TX over 10 years. Using extensive participant observations, we found male users outnumber female users in public access Internet usage, even accounting for age and ethnicity. In-depth interviews revealed that both sexes saw public access as the least desirable place to use the Internet, but discourses around libraries differed. Female interviewees associated libraries with nostalgia for books and family, while male interviewees associated libraries with technology. Older female users also described feelings of technophobia.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jcc4.12088

Laura Covarrubias

Papers

Gendered Space: The Digital Divide between Male and Female Users in Internet Public Access Sites